attend many conferences, but the USCA is one of my favorites! The atmosphere is so welcoming to advocates, yet incorporates a professional component, as well.
katie06's blog
It was such an honor to attend the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016) in Durban, South, Africa.
I began serving on my local Community Advisory Board for the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) site at The Ohio State University a couple of years ago. This gave me a greater understanding of the HIV research process. I learned to review protocols, lay summaries and consent forms for HIV studies. Not long ago, I joined the Community Scientific Subcommittee (which is a subcommittee of the ACTG), as I wanted a deeper understanding of the study development. I’m now involved in studies from the beginning and have a new appreciation for the research process. I recently attended the annual ACTG...
The International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016) has officially begun in Durban, South Africa.
As 2015 draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on this year and dream about the upcoming year, 2016. One of my biggest accomplishments in 2015 was a new job. My previous job was well aware of my HIV status and those employees who I trusted and felt needed to know, knew. Transitioning into a new office, with new employees has been a challenge. I've been very open about my volunteer work in HIV and tell nearly everyone. However, I stop short of actually admitting I'm HIV positive. While adjusting to my new job and the many new challenges (learning new skills, court and legal requirements...
I was chosen to receive a scholarship to attend CROI (Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections) in Seattle from February 23-26, 2015.
The Ohio AIDS Coalition recently sponsored the Ohio Conference on HIV/AIDS. The Ohio AIDS Coalition has a new Director, Patrick Beatty. I really feel that he is an amazing resource for Ohio, as he has prior experience in government affairs. So often, changes begin with those political connections. I'm very excited to see the work Mr. Beatty can contribute! During the conference, I was excited to hear him talk about the continued need for Ryan White after the Affordable Care Act. I was also able to attend a consumer pre-conference, which was held the day prior to the conference. Honestly, this...
I recently had the privilege of speaking for the Ohio State University AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. This was my first time speaking before a group of people (let alone, people who knew my HIV status)! I was terrified to say the least. I volunteer for this organization, so it helped that I knew most of the people. On a typical meeting, we may have 8-10 people in attendance. Of course the day I'm speaking we had closer to 15 attendees. While still not many people, it seemed intimidating. I created a slide show (the last time I did that was 10 years ago in college)! My presentation discussed the...
I was able to attend the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) in San Diego, held October 2-5, 2014. This conference had over 2,000 attendees, many of whom worked in the HIV community. The sessions varied widely, including housing, criminalization, retention to care, and organization management. I primarily attended sessions related to science and research to feed my interest in treatment advocacy. I had the privilege of hearing some amazing people speak, including some very well-known advocates such as Laverne Cox (from Orange is the New Black) and Mondo Guerra (from Project Runway). I also...
While at the Positive Women's Network Speak Up! Summit, I was able to participate in many wonderful sessions. One session that really resonated with me was in regard to treatment advocacy. Treatment advocacy focuses on optimizing the quality of care and treatment, as well as increasing access to care and treatment for people living with HIV. Treatment advocacy can occur on several levels, including individual, community and national. I had always considered myself successful at individual advocacy. I have a great relationship with my medical provider, attend each of my appointments and adhere...